To Become the Sun
by shadowphantomness
Summary: Fanon. Charlotte and Charmander leave to begin their journey. Who knows where they will go, what they will encounter, or just how many ways a pokemon battle can deviate from the expected.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: To Become the Sun  
Author: Shadow/Phantomness  
Pairing: None  
Fandom: Pokémon**  
**Rating:  
****Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. Phantomness bows  
Notes: for telepathy, for thoughts, **_**italics**_** if a pokemon talks  
Warnings: Original Character, fanon**

Dusky sunlight spilled through the half-drawn blinds, pooling on the floor. A few moments later, an alarm clock began to beep shrilly. The occupant of the bed groaned, before reaching over and smacking the off button.

A few minutes later, she groggily climbed out of bed, tripping over her stack of manga before she made it to the bathroom.

Charlotte flicked the light switch on and reached for her toothbrush. Was it that time of year already?

Every year for the past four years, Professor Oak had sent her a postcard, none-too-tactfully reminding her that most children left at age ten on their pokemon journey. Of course, there were some late bloomers, and others who simply did not wish to train pokemon, but Charlotte was a different story.

When she was eight, her father had died in a wild pokemon attack, a shocking but not altogether unheard-of-occurrence. Silph Co. had paid off her family handsomely to evade a lawsuit, but Charlotte was more interested in books and studying than in pokemon anyway.

Still, the issue of grief, counterfeit as it may have been, had worked to keep Oak's letters at bay for two years. After that, her mother had found a better job offer and moved to the Johto Region to work for a small law firm.

It was not right for a child to live at home alone. Journeying alone was one thing, but rattling around in a house? Unthinkable!

She pulled on a pair of black jeans that were relatively clean, before hunting around for her backpack. She had packed it a week in advance, but it seemed to have vanished. As Charlotte began rooting around in her room, the doorbell rang.

"Great. Just bloody great."

She stood and walked downstairs, before peering through the peephole in the door to see a man in a blue uniform with a Ponyta. Ah. The mail.

"There's a postcard for you from Pallet Town." The mailman said, as Charlotte opened the door.

"Oh, thanks." She said, stuffing it into a pocket.

"No problem. Good day." With that, the mailman walked away. Charlotte went back upstairs and continued digging through the mess. Finally, she found her sneakers and her backpack buried underneath a pile of old homework assignments and strewn clothing.

"Well, I guess this is it." She said, checking her wallet to make sure she had her bus pass. After making a quick breakfast of milk and cereal, she hoisted her pack onto her shoulders and walked down the street until she reached the bus stop.

The bus ride to Pallet Town took about half an hour, and when she reached Professor Oak's lab, there was already a line of children clamoring to get their starter pokemon. Charlotte joined the line, ignoring the stares from ten-year olds who thought they were hot stuff, and dug out one of her romance novels from her backpack.

The line snaked along until finally, it was her turn. The good Professor looked haggard already, but handed over a poke ball containing Charmander, and a starter pack with two potions, five poke balls, and a Pokedex, before shooing her out and calling the next child in.

Charlotte found an empty bench nearby and released her Charmander.

The Charmander studied his new trainer. She was female, and tall. He sniffed at the air, and sneezed.

Charlotte blinked. "Hi?"

_Are you my new trainer?_

Charlotte smiled at the Charmander, even though she had no clue what it was saying. It looked excited.

"Do you want to battle already?"

_You smell nice._

Charlotte picked Charmander up, setting him on her lap. "Wow, you're cute. I'm glad I got a Charmander. I like fire types."

Charmander could not understand anything except for fire and his name. He wagged his tail.

"Well, come on! Let's go catch some more pokemon!"

The two of them headed into the tall grass outside Pallet Town with Charmander trotting at Charlotte's heels. The small fire lizard sniffed the air.

It didn't seem dangerous.

He wasn't hungry yet. Maybe later…

A small purple rodent poked its head out of the grass. Charlotte's eyes lit up.

"A Rattata! All right! Charmander, use Scratch!"

Charmander ran towards the little rat, which easily dodged out of the way, and then brought its tail down on Charmander's back.

Tail whip…

Charmander shivered and tried to throw the Rattata off, but failed. That was when Charlotte ran over.

"Get off of my Charmander!" She yelled, trying to pry the Rattata off, but it held firm, digging its teeth into Charmander's neck.

Charmander yelled and waved his tail, managing to set the Rattata on fire. The rat angrily ran off.

"Are you okay now?" Phantomness asked.

Charmander shook himself, before nodding.

"Hmm. Maybe next time if we see a pokemon, you can just shoot Ember at it from a distance. Oh! I probably should have tried to catch that Rattata."

The two of them walked on, and soon encountered several Pidgey. Pointing at one, Charlotte nodded.

Charmander used Ember, setting the bird aflame. While it was still squawking, Charlotte threw a poke ball.

It shook once, before the Pidgey burst out.

Charmander quickly leered, trying to stop the Pidgey from coming closer. Charlotte threw another poke ball, and this time, the Pidgey did not escape.

"All right! I've got a Pidgey!" Charlotte cheered, hugging Charmander.

Maybe she could stick with this Trainer bit for a while…

End Chapter

* * *

Started 8/15/07

Completed 8/16/07

I know, I know. Charlotte is an OC. But guess what? She's _my_ OC, and I like her, and I can damn well write about her pokemon journey – or separate lives if I want to! Yes, she's a Mary-Sue, but hopefully not as obnoxious.

Cosmos was created by Charlotte – so it's not going to exist until she finishes her journey in Kanto

Charlotte's starter was mentioned as Charmander several times

I'm making Charlotte 16, since frankly, I'm not too good at writing younger children cough though come on, not all teenagers are neat-freaks…

I will try very hard not to be too Mary-Sue!


	2. Chapter 2

Bunnies!

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. Phantomness bows

Notes: for telepathy, for thoughts, _italics_ if a pokemon talks

Chapter 2

They fought a few more Pidgeys and Rattata that night – from a safe distance, and then Charlotte set up her tent and sleeping bag.

It was awfully dark, and Charmander shivered as they huddled by the small campfire they had built. It was lucky she had chosen a fire pokemon – the matches wouldn't start! Of course, that might have been because she had fallen in a pond earlier but…

Charlotte stirred her instant macaroni and cheese. "Want some?" She asked.

Charmander gave the yellow greasy mess a disgusted look and shook his head.

"Suit yourself." The trainer said, and began to eat.

The next day passed relatively easy, and they made it to the outskirts of Viridian City on the third day. Charmander enjoyed his rest at the Pokemon Center, while Charlotte spotted a used bookstore and made a beeline for it. She was walking down the street with Pidgey perched on her shoulder when she heard a wolf-whistle.

Spinning around, she saw a group of boys leering at her.

"What?" Charlotte snapped.

"Hey hot stuff!" One yelled. "Want to go on a date with me?"

"As if!"

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm the best trainer in this city! You're making a mistake, lady!"

"…"

The boy leered, before releasing a Sandslash. Charlotte was reaching for Charmander's poke ball, before she remembered he was still at the Center. Darn!

"Pidgey, go!"

"Sandslash, Sand-Attack!" The boy commanded.

Pidgey hovered in the air, watching as the Sandslash kicked up sand. She flapped her stubby wings, and dove at the Sandslash with a Wing Attack.

The Sandslash ducked underground, as Pidgey crashed.

"Ah! Pidgey! Get up!"

"Sandslash, Slash now!"

The Sandslash popped out of its hole like a jack in the box, sending Pidgey flying into a nearby bush.

"Pidgey!" Charlotte shouted, running to the bush. After fishing around in it for a few minutes, she dragged out a battered Pidgey.

"Pidgey, Return." She said morosely, recalling her to a poke ball.

"All right! I won!" Rupert shouted. "That means you have to go on a date with me tonight! Unless you have another pokemon to battle with?"

Unfortunately, she didn't, since she hadn't caught any other pokemon…

"Woohoo!" Rupert crowed, dancing around for a moment. "This is great!"

Charlotte gaped at him, before sighing.

"You won't have to pay." He said, trying to sweeten the pot.

Charlotte flushed in embarrassment. She most certainly did not want to date an eight-year-old kid, but she _had_ lost the battle. How humiliating…

"So, what's your name?"

"Charlotte." She sighed.

"Cool name. Well, I'm sure you'll become a better trainer soon!" He said, trying to be encouraging.

Charlotte said nothing, inwardly seething. How could this have happened?

Was she that bad of a trainer?

"So anyways, we can totally go to a dance they're holding at the Town Hall." Rupert said. "So! Is this your first time in Viridian City?"

"… Yes." Charlotte said flatly.

"I'll show you around! Hey Brian! George! Look!"

Two other boys came running, stopping when they saw Rupert and Charlotte.

"Woah, who's the babe, Rupert?"

"She's my date tonight!"

"And where are you from? Pallet?" George asked.

"Saffron." Charlotte said tightly.

"Oh cool! My father works for Silph there."

After making small talk with Rupert and his inane friends for half an hour, Charlotte was well neigh ready to explode. Luckily, they were close to the Pokemon Center, so she said she had to heal her Pidgey. Rupert yelled that he'd pick her up in an hour for their date.

Charlotte sighed as she had Nurse Joy heal her Pidgey. She collected Charmander from where he was playing in the garden behind the Center, and then went upstairs to the room she had rented out.

What a mess!

"I hate my life." Charlotte muttered.

Charmander cocked his head to one side, while Pidgey began pecking at blueberry pattern on the sheets.

"I don't want to go on a date with some kid!"

Charlotte got up and went to her pack. She had a few changes of clothes, but nothing fancy. If Rupert wanted a hottie, it certainly wasn't going to be her!

She went to the bathroom and took a long, hot shower, felt marginally better, and then put on her black pleated skirt and a clean white blouse. After she toweled her hair dry, she found Rupert waiting.

"Wow, you look nice."

"… Thanks." Charlotte muttered.

She followed him to a hamburger stand, managed to choke down two burgers with ketchup, and then suffered through two hours of walking around Viridian as he boasted about all the battles he had won. By the time Rupert said goodnight, Charlotte ran back to the Center as fast as she could without bothering to give him a goodnight kiss.

"That was one of the worst nights of my life." The trainer muttered, back in her room. "Little swine. I think he pinched my butt at least twice too…"

She would leave Viridian City first thing the next morning! Screw sleeping in a regular bed, if this was what she had to put up with in cities she was much better off camping in a forest!

And she'd try to make Charmander and Pidgey stronger too!

End Chapter

Completed 8/16/07

Poor Charlotte… waggles eyebrows Quite a few underage perverts, ne?


End file.
